Okay, as a SLIGHTLY older forum member and mother of 2 young children on their way to being tweens (they are 10 and 12), I had to weigh in on this. First, yes I strongly believe that as parents we MUST work diligently not only to protect our children but even more so to teach them how to protect themselves. Maybe because I'm an adult and I see it all, the world seems much less child-friendly than it was when I was a kid. However, shielding our children from everything does not prepare them to be teenagers and adults. Children need to be taught that the internet is full of strangers and that, just like in the real world, they should not EVER share personal information (last name, address, phone number, town they live in, pictures, etc.) with anyone on the internet. As parents, we need to remember that first and foremost our job concerning our children is to teach them and guide them. If you can do that AND be your child's friend, then God bless ya. But if you feel torn between being your child's teacher/guardian and being their friend, PLEASE let teaching them be your first choice, even if it means sometimes being harsh and disciplining. Some of life's lessons that I took to heart the most came from my parents standing their ground on certain issues like safety and honesty.